Dozens of people attended a special open house in Buffalo in late February to learn more about Wright County’s Long Range Transportation Plan.

 

The plan is being updated to prepare the county’s transportation system for continued growth and  travel needs over the next 20-plus years. The population now near 135,000, is project to grow to between 185,000 and 200,000 by 2040.

 

The last long-range countywide plan was done in 1995. Another study done in 2004 focused on the Northeastern part of the county.

 

Public involvement in the current process began early in 2018, with an initial open house June 20. 

 

The objectives of the plan include developing and maintaining a transportation system that promotes safety for all users; that is efficient by increasing the accessibility, mobility and connectivity options of all users; that encourages preservation of right-of-way for future transportation corridors and promotes economic development throughout the county.

 

Traffic counts are collected by MnDOT on Wright County roadways every three to four years. The information is used to produce volume, classification, speed and weight data as well as traffic forecasts, vehicle miles traveled figures, reports, maps and analysis.

 

But it’s not just on county roads. The county’s roadway system is shared among MnDOT, Wright County and all the cities and townships within the county. Those jurisdictions coordinate in the planning and improvement efforts of the roadway system. That cooperation is also vital to  future decisions regarding shifting traffic and road classification.

 

The future system analysis of the roadways within the county shows some significant changes and reclassifications of roads by 2040.

 

For example, some roads or sections of roads, like Co. Rd. 2 in South Haven, 70th and 85th Streets in Otsego, which are currently local or minor collector roads, will become major collectors.

 

Other roads that are currently designated as major collectors will become arterial roads, which generally provide the fastest method of travel and typically have low accessibility from neighboring roads. They are usually designed with long-distance travel in mind. Some Wright County roads (or segments) on that list include Co. Rds. 18, 30, 33, 36 and 37.

 

There are also future re-alignments of roads, both county and local, as part of the proposed plan. And some current major collector roads (or segments) will become minor collectors, like Co. Rds. 7 and 106.

 

To view the informational boards presented at the open house, check online at www.wrightcountylrtp.com.